NZ Football clarifies 'pay-to-play' policy

New Zealand Football has reduced player contributions for its under-17 players for the upcoming World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

The body had demanded all squad members pay $2000 to cover costs to attend the tournament, but has halved that figure following a backlash against the policy.

The former All Whites skipper Danny Hay claims the policy is wrong on every level as FIFA already covers travel, food and accommmodation costs for players attending its tournaments.

New Zealand Football's moved to clarify the concept of player contributions, issuing a statement outlining the reasons behind it.

It says while FIFA foots the bill for the costs of competing at age-group World Cups, it does not include domestic camps, qualifying campaigns, training sessions or other logistical costs.

Each age-group campaign has a budget of $250,000 over two years to cover such costs and says it's fair to request a personal contribution to reflect the personal benefits players receive.

However, New Zealand Football partially backed down in the case of the team to compete at the under-17 World Cup next month as the late introduction of the policy means parents have been unable to plan for the expense.